REMARKS 

ON THE 

FIRST BOARD OF OVERSEERS OF HARVARD COLLEGE 

AND ON 

CERTAIN BOOKS WRITTEN BY MEMBERS 
OF THE CLASS OF 1642 



BY 



FREDERICK LEWIS GAY 



REMARKS 

ON THE 

FIRST BOARD OF OVERSEERS OF HARVARD COLLEGE 

AND ON 

CERTAIN BOOKS WRITTEN BY MEMBERS 
OF THE CLASS OF 1642 



BY 

FREDERICK LEWIS GAY 

11 



REPRINTED FROM 

THE PUBLICATIONS 

OF 

€l)e Colonial &>otitty of ®®te$uct)umt& 
Vol. XVII 



CAMBRIDGE 

JOHN WILSON AND SON 

Sanittersttg Press 
1915 



LJlzisz 






■ 
REMARKS 

ON THE 

FIRST BOARD OF OVERSEERS OF HARVARD COLLEGE 

AND ON 

CERTAIN BOOKS WRITTEN BY MEMBERS 
OF THE CLASS OF 1642 



Mr. Frederick L. Gat exhibited several books and a 
photograph of a portrait of Hugh Peters, and made the 
following remarks : 

On reading the Quinquennial Catalogue of the Officers and 
Graduates of Harvard University, I was surprised to find no 
mention of the names of the members of the first Board of Over- 
seers. The names of those appointed by the General Court "to 
take order for a colledge at Newtowne," and of those who held office 
at the first Commencement, seem worthy of a few lines of printer's 
ink, to say the least. They were all men of distinction in their 
time, and to ignore them entirely is to blot out the memory of their 
help to the cause of learning in this country. Their names are 
practically buried from sight. To find them one must dig up the 
pages of the Massachusetts Colony Records and New Englands 
First Fruits. On November 20, 1637: 

Comittee aa to y° For the colledge, the Governo r , M r Winthrope, the 
To™. at NeW Deputy, M r Dudley, the Treasurer, M r Bellingham, M r 
Humfrey, M r Herlakenden, M r Staughton, M r Cotton, 
M r Wilson, M r Damport, M r Wells, M r Sheopard, & 
M r Peters, these, or the greater part of them, whereof 
M r Winthrope, M r Dudley, or M r Bellingham, to bee 
alway one, to take order for a colledge, at Newetowne. 1 

This body of men made up the first Board of Overseers of Harvard 
College in 1637. Its membership was unchanged, so far as we know, 
1 Massachusetts Colony Records, i. 217. 



MILK for BABES, 
\*sfnd 

ME AT for MEN. 

O K 

Trmciples neceffary , to bee kpoWn 
and learned^ of fitch as would knoty 
Chrift here t er he knfton of him 
hereafter. 

z. The s$. x. 8. 
In fiaming Fire , taking vengeance 

on them that know nor God : & that 

obey not the Cj ofpel q£ out Lord 

Iesvs Chkut. 







Ronx 10. 1/ 

Hoty beautifull are the feet of them that 

f reach the Gofpell of peace, &c* 



\ 



jmpinted tAnno 1630, 



1913] BOARD OF OVERSEERS CREATED, 1642 125 

until 1642, except by the dropping out of Roger Harlakenden, who 
died in 1638. John Endicott appears as a member in 1642, the full 
Board being then made up of twelve men, as follows: John Winthrop, 
John Endicott, Thomas Dudley, Richard Bellingham, John Hum- 
phrey, Israel Stoughton, also John Cotton, John Wilson, John Daven- 
port, Thomas Weld, Hugh Peter, Thomas Shepard, "inspectoribus." 1 
At the first Commencement only six were probably present, viz. 
Winthrop, Endicott, Bellingham, Cotton, Wilson, Shepard. Of the 
other members, Weld, Peter, and Humphrey were then in England, 
Stoughton was apparently on the way thither, and Davenport had 
gone to New Haven in 1638. Sibley says,. " I do not find any record 
of the day or the month, in 1642, when the first Commencement was 
held. Probably it was in October." Although quoted by him on 
his next page, he overlooks the fact that the letter sent over by the 
governor and divers of the ministers describing the manner of the 
late Commencement is plainly dated "September the 26. 1642." 2 
This proves that Commencement took place before September 
twenty-sixth. 

On the very next day after this letter was written the General 
Court changed the membership of the Board of Overseers: 

Coll. Whereas . . . there was appointed & named six 

ma trats & g^ e idr s ^ orc [ er the colledge at Cambridge, 
of w ch twelue some are removed out of this iurisdiction, — 

College overseers. It • is therefore ordered, that the Govern r & Deputy 
for the time being, & all the ma trats of this iurisdiction, 
together with the teaching eld r s of thesixe next adioyning 
townes, that is, Cambridge, Watertowne, Charles- 
towne, Boston, Roxberry, & Dorchester, & the psident 
of the colledge for the time being, shall have from time 
to time full power & authority to make & establish all 
such orders, statutes, & constitutions as they shall see 
necessary . . . 3 

From 1642 until 1780 it is an easy matter to tell who was an Over- 
seer for a given year, by referring to Whitmore's Civil List and six 
town histories, some of which have indexes. 

Hugh Peter, fourth pastor of the Salem church, was one of the 

1 New Englands First Fruits, p. 18. 2 P. 17. 

3 Massachusetts Colony Records, ii. 30. 



126 THE COLONIAL SOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS [April, 

first Board of Overseers. He wrote about twenty books and tracts, 
and many of his letters were printed during his lifetime in the Eng- 
lish journals of the day. Everything he wrote has a certain his- 
torical value, and, apart from his official relations with Harvard, 
deserves a place in some corner of the College Library. He was 
educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and took his degree of 
A.M. in 1622. As preacher of a monthly lecture at Sepulchre's, 
London, he attracted crowds of people, but the authorities of the 
established church forced from him a written submission to their 
discipline. Again he found himself in trouble. This time we read: 

Master Hugh Peter was apprehended by a Pursevant, imprisoned for 
a time in the New-prison, silenced here from his Ministry, and forced 
into Holland by the Arch-bishop, onely for praying at Sepulchers Church 
for the Queen, in these words, That as shee came into a Goshen of safety, 
so the light of Goshen might shine into her soule, that shee might not perish 
in the day of Christ ; as himself e and sundry others will depose. 1 

When in Holland he wrote the first book that has come to our 
notice. It is a little catechism, of which there were many in those 
days before they were superseded by the Westminster Assembly's 
Longer and Shorter Catechisms. As no bibliographical descrip- 
tion of the volume has yet appeared, and as it is of undoubted rarity, 
I venture to lay it before you for examination and comment. 

Milk for Babes, / And / Meat for Men. / Or / Principles necessary, 
to bee known / and learned, of such as would know / Christ here, or be 
known of him / hereafter. / [5 lines from Bible] / [Printer's mark] / [3 
lines from Bible] / Imprinted Anno 1630. 

Collation: Title-page, verso blank, 1 leaf; "Epistle to those . . . I . . . hold deere 
in Sepulchers London," etc., 1 leaf; "Epistle to those whom my ministry," 
etc., 1 leaf; text, pp. 1-39; verso of p. 39 blank. 

Signatures: A-B in eights, C in seven (copies in original binding probably have 
a blank leaf, completing C in eight). "D4" is a misprint for C4. 

[6] + 39 p. 24 mo. No place or name of printer. 

The two Epistles follow: 

Epistle. 

To those, whom I have reason to hold deere in Sepulchers London, & 
elswhere in England, where I have spent the poore Talent, the Lord 
hath lent mee. 



1 William Prynne, Canterburies Doome, London, 1646, p. 421. 



A True -2" 

RELATION 

Ofthe Progrefs of the ParlamentsForces in 

SCOTLAND: 

Together with the 

KINGS 

Wholly abandoning Scotland, and, in de- 
fpair, with what Forces were left them, march- 
ing into EnglaJid : with part of our 
Forces in his Van : and my 

LORD GENERAL 

following; in his Reer. 
By an Exprefi Meflenger to the Council of State. 



/ 



uct • Jt 



c ?" 




London, Printed by William Vu-Gard^ by the appointment ofthe 
Council of State , AnnoVom* 1651, 



1913] EPISTLES BY HUGH PETERS, 1630 127 

Beloved Freinds. 

It often falls out whilst some have thought it nothing to quit the 
outworks, and have blamed the watch that guarded them, the enemy 
hath go ten within the ports, & the chief e Cittadell hath been endangered. 

Give mee leave to tell you, that the cause of all uneven walking, 
carnall fearing, & painted profession amongst you, ariseth from a hart 
either unbroken or unbottomed. 

For the former of these, you have had amongst you my poore en- 
devours, I wish they had been more spirituall, more prevalent. 

You had my liberty, and I wish my life had gone with it, could that 
have accomplished the end of my labours, the salvation of your soules 
in the day of the Lord. I complaine not of unanswerable love from you. 

For the second, I send you this token, not that you want Catechismes, 
but that you may still know how much Water cannot quench my love." 

Commend mee to your Children and Servants and give them this. 
And know, that good things, if they bee not esteemd in the abundance 
of them, will be better valued by their want. 

Oh walke worthy of the Gospell, lest with some desolate Churches 
you once say: Wee had the Gospell. 

I commend you all to his grace, who is able to keepe you in the Fellow- 
ship of the Gospel and rest. _ T ... 

Yours m him 

H. P. 

Epistle. 

To those, whom my Ministry may concerne in the Netherlands, 
especially these of Rotterdam, who have had most of my Labours. 

Loving Freinds'. 

I know what meanes, what mercies you injoy in these parts, & yet I 
am not ignorant, what disadvantages Godlines in the power of it hath, 
by errour in judgment, and loosenes in life; Look well, and you will finde, 
it is not all gold that glistereth: Beleeve it, A compleate Christian, is 
allmost as dainty as the man the Lord lookt for, Ezech. 22. Wherfore 
as you meet with my labours in publicke, so accept of this for you, & 
yours in private. 

You have many other helps; but having resolved to pitch upon some- 
thing of this kind, .and finding all said before that could bee sayd, I 
pitcht upon this ground-worke, which I put into this order, for your 
Fartherance. 

Never dreame of building without foundations, when you have well 
disgested this Milke, you must then bee fit for stronger Meat. 

The Lord makes us wise with Ioseph, it is getting time, there will 



128 THE COLONIAL SOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS [April, 

come a spending. And remember that if ever your poore Infants bee 
driven to wildernesses, to hollow caves, to Fagot and Fire, or to sorrowes 
of any Kinde, they will thanke God & you, they were well catechized. 
The comfort of these principles hee wisheth you who is 

Yours in the 
Rock Christ, 
H.P. 

In this description it is to be noted that the two Epistles are 
signed "H. P." We know that Hugh Peter preached at Sepulchre's, 
London; that he labored in the work of the ministry in Rotterdam; 
that the initials of his name were H. P. With this combination in 
mind we can safely attribute the authorship of the catechism to 
Hugh Peter. All doubts, however, are set at rest by Mr. Wilber- 
force Eames's discovery of a second edition of the catechism printed 
in London in 1641. The title-page of this second edition bears the 
author's name, "By Hugh Peters, some time lecturer at St. Sepul- 
chre's, London, now teacher in New England." * 

A sermon on the Gunpowder Plot, London, 1652, by William 
Ames, of the Class of 1645, is said by Sibley to be the first work 
printed by any Harvard College graduate. 2 But Ames no longer 
heads the procession of Harvard's writers, having fallen into the 
third place in the line. The second place is now held by George 
Downing, of the Class of 1642, who first comes forward as an author 
in 1651. He in turn makes way for Benjamin Woodbridge, of the 
same Class of 1642, whose first book was printed in 1648, six years 
after his graduation. 

George Downing's name first appeared in print in the list of com- 
mencers who took their degrees at Harvard College in the Class of 
1642. This list was printed in that year at Cambridge in New 
England, and was reprinted in New Englands First Fruits in Lon- 
don in 1643. We next catch a glimpse of him in Gangrsena, written 
by Thomas Edwards, the avowed opponent of toleration and liberty 
of conscience, the last and strongest hold of Satan. 

August 16, 1646. Preached at Hackney one Master Downing, a 
Preacher of the Army, and a young Peters (as he was called) some who 

1 Proceedings American Antiquarian Society, New Series, xii. 90. 

2 Harvard Graduates, i. 26. 



OLI VARIANA, 

SIVE PRO 
FRJEFECTURA Sereniffimi PRINCIPIS 

A»ei!f ScOTl£,&Hl 8S.R N I &, 

'DOM. 

Protectoris 

OLIVARI: 

CWME&i VOTIVVM 



< l i j 'ii M««<i,iinmi n »i« 



•K#» #l#*wr$ Low eff 
Trimifibm pla$m£k» 



Lokde NI 9 

1 Tjjw NEWCOMBI AN IS; 

h C N*/Jr* S * l ii t i f «7^M»DCLI^ 



1913] SIR GEORGE DOWNING's TRUE RELATION, 1651 129 

were eare-witnesses told me of his Sermon, and it was to this effect; 
That the Country people say (that is he meant the Sectaries in the Army 
say) that the Parliament would do them good, but the Lord Major, 
the Common-Councell and the Citizens of London would not permit 
them; he feared God would bring the Plague upon them, and Risings 
among them; and the cause of all was, the uncharitablenesse of London 
against the Saints; and that the opposition now was not between worldly 
men, but between Saints and Saints. 

This Downing, alias Peter junior, spake in Hackney pulpit of the 
Common Councell of London at that time in way of aspersion of them 
as if they were for the Cavaliers, that when they entered Oxford, the 
Cavaliers told them, Tis your turn now, it 'may be ours hereafter, for we 
have the City of London and the Common Councell for us. 1 

Downing was on terms of intimacy with Hugh Peter from the 
days of his youth in Salem. Their families were connected by mar- 
riage in a roundabout way, and Peter doubtless had an eye for young 
Downing's advancement in England. Their known connec+ion 
may have given rise to the above allusions to Peter. After serving as 
chaplain in the regiment of Colonel Okey, whom he later foully be- 
trayed to his death, Downing rose to the post of Scoutmaster- 
General to the Parliamentary army in Scotland. While serving 
with the forces there he wrote the following pamphlet: 

A True / Relation / Of the Progress of the Parliaments Forces in / 
Scotland : / Together with the / King's / Wholly abandoning Scotland, 
and, in de- /spair, with what Forces were left them, march- / ing into 
England: with part of our / Forces in his Van: and my / Lord General 
/ following in his Reer. / By an Express Messenger to the Council of 
State. / [Arms of the Commonwealth] / London, Printed by William 
Du-Gard, by the appointment of the / Council of State, Anno Dom. 
1651. 

Collation: Title-page, verso blank, 1 leaf; text of "A Letter to the Honorable 
Council," etc., signed "G. Downing," pp. 1-3; "Postcript," p. 4; "A letter 
from the Council of State," etc., p. 5; verso has the Arms of the 
Commonwealth. 

Signature A in 4. 

[2] — 5 p. 12 mo. 

1 The third Part of Gangrsena, or, A new and higher Discovery of the Errors, 
Heresies, Blasphemies, and insolent Proceedings of the Sectaries of these times; 
with some Animadversions by way of Confutation upon many of the Errors and 
Heresies named, London, 1646, pp. 81-82. 



130 THE COLONIAL SOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS [April, 

In marrying Lady Frances Howard, daughter of Sir William 
Howard of Naworth, and sister of the first Earl of Carlisle, the future 
of Downing was firmly established socially, and his marked capacity 
for intrigue and genius for adaptability, to use no harsher term, led 
to his later success. John Adams wrote: "To borrow the language 
of the great Dr. Johnson, this 'dog' Downing, must have had a 
head and brains, or, in other words, genius and address; but, if we 
may believe history, he was a scoundrel." 

On his marriage a Latin poem was written by Payne Fisher, Oliver 
Cromwell's poet laureate, a voluminous writer of Latin panegyrics. 
This work is cited by Sibley in his sketch of Downing. As it is a book 
not often met with, I have brought a copy to show the rapid rise of 
the man thus honored with an Epithalamium. 

Inauguratio / Olivariana, / sive pro / Praefectura Serenissimi Prin- 
cipis / Anglise, Scotise, & Hibernise, / Dom. / Proctectoris / Olivari : / 
Carmen Votivum. / [2 lines Latin poetry] / Londini, / Typis New- 

. . . , A [Nostra? Salutis- j -M.DC.LIV. 

combiams; / Anno f ~,. . ^ J . I _. . 

[ Olivari rrotectons- J -Pnmo. 

Collation: Engraved frontispiece, with the inscription "Laurus comes oliva," 
recto blank, 1 leaf; title-page, verso blank, 1 leaf; [Epistola dedicatoria], 2 
leaves; "Ad Olivarum," etc., 1 page; "In serenissimi Olivarii," etc., 2 pages; 
"Ad amicum F. F.," etc., 1 page; "Charissimo . . . Fishero," etc., 1 page; 
"In Olivarianem," etc., 1 page; "In Augustissimam," etc., 1 page; "Ad eru- 
ditissimum," etc., 1 page; text of "Inauguratio Oliveriana," pp. 1-92; "In 
nuptias . . . G. Downingi," pp. 93-97; "Epithalamium," etc., pp. 98-100; 
"Ad . . . Whalaeum . . .," pp. 101-102; "Ornatissimo . . . Whalaeio . . .," 
pp. 103-104; "In . . . Richardum," etc., pp. 105-106; "Fortissimo . . .," 
etc., p. 107; "In obitum," etc., pp. 108-109; "Optimae spei," etc., pp. 110-111; 
p. 112 blank; "In obitum . . . R. Deane," etc., pp. 113-118. 

Signatures: 4 leaves without signature, / in four, A-0 in fours, P in three (copies 
in original binding probably have a blank leaf, completing P in four). 

[16] — 118 pp. 8mo. 

The last book to lay before you to-night is the first book printed 
by the first named member in the College catalogue of the first class 
of graduates, Benjamin Woodbridge. Down to Sibley's day this 
book was known only by a second edition bearing the author's name 
on the title-page. Printed in 1648, the authorship was more or less 
hidden under the latinized name Filodexter Transilvanus. 

Church-Members / set in / Joynt. / Or, / A Discovery of the unwar- 
rantable and / disorderly practice of private christians, / in usurping the 



4 Church -Members f 



r. 



SET I 

4 JOYN 

A Dif ;overy of the uiv 
diford *rly pra&ice of pr 

*!a in u arpiug the peculiar Offic 

«K >f Chrifts own Paftoi ly 

«2 Publike Preack 

*!» In w; y of Anfwer to a Book printed under 

n me of lieutenant Edmunc 

Kbut indeed none of bis) etitkated 

Preaching without Ordinatiom 






H 






WJ rein all the Arguments by hiir 
/ tfWered and disproved, the truth 
denced,and the Office forementioncd, 
into the hands of the right < 



contrary cviw B* 



isl 



By Filodexter Tranj 

o man taketh this honour to himfelj ,L 
4 sr<Pt. 

$ have not lent thefe Prophets, yet th- 
■bens *ct they prophe/icd. 

^warc of falfe Prophets, which came M Sbtes* c Mi- 

;, but inwardly they are ravening Wolves. 



r 



*^> Printed for Edmund PAiTo^nd 

tc hit Shop in PmmU chain, over againft the I tve*» 

neet co cheDodors Commons, i < 4 

^r# n f n fn# »vfH af t 4 W »iff?»f^y>f^^ 



130 THE COLONIAL SOr ETTS 

I tying Lady 1 

■rth, an, arlisle, the 

marked ca 

mrsber term, led 

: "To botrow the language 

f i dog' D , nust have had a 

head and bra' ier words, genius and adlress; but, if we 

may believ a a scoi: 

On his m Latin poem was writt aym Fisher, Oliver 

Cromwell's po reate, a voluminous writ n panegyi 

This work is cited by Sibley in his sketch of Dow Vs it is a hook 

often met with, I have brought a copy to ab t rapid rise of 

man thus honored with an Epithalamium. 

Inauguratio / Olivariana, / sive pro / Prsefectura i Prin- 

jlue, Scotite, & Hibernia?, / Dom. / Pt nt / Olivari: / 

um. / [2 lines Latin poetry] / Londini, / 1 \'ew- 

:i: Engraved frontispiece, witb 

.lank, 1 leaf; title-page, verao blank, I - 

Ad Olivarum," etc., 1 pagt 
"Ad ; Page; "Chi 

"Id :^ge; "In A' 

wningi," pi a," etc., 

101- 10 

lOTj'lnobitum/'etv 
p. 112 blank; "Inobitum . 

without re, / in four 

probabi a blank 1 P in few 

1161 pp. 8ino. 

Tht boak to lay before you to-night is the first book prii. d 

iber in the College catalogue of the first cl 
min Woodbridge. Do* >ibley 

-y a second edition l> 
1648, t 

.war 
the 



4 Church -Members 

J SET IN fr 

1 JOY NT. 

«8 OR, p 

«i A Difcovery of the unwarrantable and !§• 
4 difbrderlypradiceofprivatechriftians, j|* 

4 in ufiirpiug the peculiar Office and work [§* 
*$ of Chrifts own Paftours^ namely H* 

«| Publike Preaching. j&* 

*|] In way of Anfwer to a Book printed under the S* 

name of JLieutenant Edmund Chillenden [j* 
l but indeed none of his) enthuled |U 

Preaching without Ordinatio/t. »£ 

'Wherein all the Arguments by him produced, are fully ST 

AnfWered and difprovedj the truth of the contrary evi- S* 
denced,and the Office foreraentioned, thereby resumed pjL 

into the hands of the right owners. Bw 

lg By Filodexter Tranfilvanus. g: 

m Reb<$ ^Noman taketh this honour to himfelf 9 but he that is called of God, X 
as was Aaron, H$* 

/tr.saai. I have not lent thcfe Prophets, yet they ran : X have not fpoken *» 
to them, yet they prophcfied . W* 

^ Mattb. 7*\ {. Beware of falfe Prophets, which come to you in Sheeps cloth- n* 
4|g ing, but inwardly they are ravening Wolves- Hj* 

#33 London, Printed for Ed mun d P a x t o n, and are co be fold j#> 

p at his Shop in Pauls chain, over againil the Caftle Tavern . n*. 

••jj neer to the Do&ors Commons. 1*48. r : - gv» 



1913] B. WOODBRIDGE's CHURCH MEMBERS SET IN JOYNT 131 

peculiar Office and work / of Christs own Pastours, namely / Publike 
Preaching. / In way of Answer to a Book printed under the / name of 
Lieutenant Edmund Chillenden / (but indeed none of his) entituled / 
Preaching without Ordination. / Wherein all the Arguments by him 
produced, are fully / Answered and disproved, the truth of the contrary 
evi- / denced, and the Office forementioned, thereby returned / into the 
hands of the right owners. / By Filodexter Transilvanus. / [6 lines from 
Bible] / London, Printed for Edmund Paxton, and are to be sold / at his 
Shop in Pauls chain, over against the Castle Tavern / neer to the 
Doctors Commons'. 1648. 

Collation: title-page, verso blank, 1 leaf; [Preface], 3 leaves ^with the verso of 

third leaf blank; text, pp. 1-32. 
Signatures: [A] in four; B-E in fours. 
[8] + 32 pp. sq. 12 mo. 



LIBRAE 



0F CONGRESS 



029 



934 585^3 



